Abinanti Calls for a Fair Allocation of Tappan Zee Bridge Construction Costs

"Now is the time for a public discussion on how to fund the pay back of $4 billion in construction loans for the two new Tappan Zee Bridges,” said Assemblyman Tom Abinanti (D-Greenburgh/Mt. Pleasant). “Westchester and Rockland residents can’t afford to pay the tolls necessary to support the full construction costs and continue to subsidize the rest of the Thruway system as they do today.”

Abinanti’s comments follow the announcement that New York will receive a $1.6 billion loan through the federal transportation-infrastructure program to help finance the construction costs of the new Tappan Zee Bridges. The Thruway Authority is expected to sell $2.4 billion in bonds to cover the remainder of the construction costs.

Assemblyman Abinanti noted that his analysis of published Thruway Authority numbers shows that projections for tolls on the bridge should be reduced significantly.

First, the projected lower cost of $4 billion rather than $5.2 billion by itself reduces the projected car toll on the Tappan Zee Bridge to less than $11.00 from the original $14.00.

Second, using a fairer formula for allocating the costs of the new Tappan Zee bridges rather than the new formula proposed by the Thruway Authority, will reduce Tappan Zee Bridge tolls even further.

Assemblyman Abinanti suggested that Tappan Zee Bridge car tolls could be around $6.00 if:

1. all Tappan Zee Bridge tolls are dedicated solely to bridge costs; or,

2. all revenues from the Thruway Authority’s “downstate region” were dedicated to pay for only downstate costs, including the new Tappan Zee, (subject, of course, to additional future downstate needs); or,

3. the current formula of using all Thruway revenues statewide to pay for all statewide Thruway costs, including the new TZ bridges, is continued.

Abinanti, who represents Tarrytown, the eastern landing of the Tappan Zee Bridge, has previously called for EZ Pass bridge toll discounts for Westchester and Rockland residents.

“Tappan Zee Bridge tolls will rise to more than $10.00 only if we use the Thruway Authority’s new proposed formula requiring that Tappan Zee Bridge toll payers continue to contribute to the cost of the entire Thruway system and, in addition, assume all of the new costs of the new bridges,” stated the Westchester Assemblyman.